The Centre on Monday pulled up Kerala for allegedly diluting the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on the lockdown imposed to check the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.

In a letter, the MHA objected to the Kerala government giving additional relaxation during lockdown. Sources in the government were quoted as saying by ANI that “Kerala’s decision to allow opening local workshops, barber shops, restaurants, book stores and MSMEs in municipal limits” was a violation of lockdown measures.

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The ministry also added that allowing bus travel in towns, pillion rider on two wheelers, two passengers in the back seat of cars are also a violation of lockdown rules.

This amounts to dilution of guidelines issued by Home Ministry and violation of its order dated April 15 issued under the Disaster Management Act 2005, the sources said.

The MHA has sought a report on the issue from the state.

The Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla has expressed the ire of the Centre in a letter to State Chief Secretary Tom Jose after hearing about the relaxation in lockdown rules in Kerala, which was against the central guidelines.

This letter came Sunday night after it was pointed out, starting Monday, that the 14 districts in Kerala will be divided into four zones for implementing the lockdown curbs — Green, Orange A, Orange B, and Red.

Kerala has, however, denied Centre’s objection of giving additional relaxation during lockdown, saying the Centre was informed.

Minister for Co- Operation, Tourism and Devaswom, Kadakampally Surendran said that the state has given relaxations abiding by directions issued by the Centre.

“Centre may have asked for an explanation due to some misunderstanding. Once we give an explanation, I hope the issue will be solved. We followed all norms set by the Centre, the minister said.

However, Kerala Chief Secretary Tom Jose said the state government is discussing on the matter, and if needed, necessary modifications will be made.

The government based on the COVID-19 spread had divided the Idukki and Kottayam districts — classified as Green Zone — to witness routine life, subject to the Centre’s directives.

The Orange B zone includes Alappuzha, Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad, Trissur and Wayanad where also normal activities will be allowed.

In both these zones, shops, hotels, offices will open, but with no crowding at all. Participation in marriages and funerals would be restricted to not more than 20 persons.

Inter-district passage would not be allowed in both these zones.

For vehicular movement, the government has decided to implement ‘odd and even’ formula, but vehicles driven by women have been exempted.

In the case of Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam and Kollam districts — classified under Orange A zone — restrictions would be in force, as of now, till April 23.

The districts like Kasargode, Kannur, Malappuram and Kozhikode in the Red category would continue with the lockdown.

Meanwhile, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, in a letter dated April 19, has asked Chief Secretaries of all states/UTs to not dilute the guidelines under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 in any manner and strictly enforce the same.

“It has come to notice that some of the States/UTs are issuing orders allowing activities which have not been allowed as per guidelines issued by MHA under the Disaster Management Act, 2005,” the letter stated.

Kerala is the first state in the country to have flattened the Coronavirus curve.

There are a total of 399 infections in the state, of which 144 are active cases.

Health Minister KK Shailaja had on Saturday told the media that in no way can the Kerala government relax because “things can go haywire anytime, if we are not alert. But at the same time, life has to go on. If not there will be other issues.”

“It should not be like ‘we saved people from Covid, but people die out of hunger’. So whatever relaxations are now announced to be effective from April 20 should not be an occasion to forget the alertness that we have maintained. Instead, the relaxation should be used to revive the state economy and it should happen by keeping all the rules and regulations of maintaining social distancing,” said Shailaja.